Expansible mandrel



l.. Nl. & H. W. A. DIXON.

i EXPANSIBLE MANDHEL. APPLICATl-on man JULY 31.1918.

1,297,809. 'Patented Mar. 18,1919.

UNITE@ TAPIB@ ATENT FFIE.

LEWIS M. DIXON ANI) HAROLD W. A. DIXON, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

EXPANSIBLE MANDREL Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. is, raie.

Application filed July 31, 1918. Serial No. 247,699.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, LEWIS M. DIXON and HAROLD WV. A. DIXON, subjects of the King of England, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expansible Mandrels; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to expansible man'- drels and it has for an object to provide an easily operated and eiicient gripping means for holding one or more spools in relatively fixed relation upon the mandrel.

A further object is the provision of an expansible member which readily adapts itself to varying conditions and which may be easily used and released.

Further objects will be apparent from the following specification, appended claims, and drawings in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a plurality of gripping sections,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing an elongated and continuous gripping member,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View as on line 3 3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a similar view through a slightly. altered form, and

Fig. 5 is a similar view through a modification.

Referring to the drawings in which the several features are clearly shown, A represents a relatively rigid sustaining member, B an expansible member, and C anextensibly mounted member or shoe. The member A may be in the form of a shell 10 in which one or more slots 11 may be formed, preferably radially through the shell, and this shell may be provided with the removable heads 12 and 13 in which the sockets 14 for a spanner Wrench may be formed. rIhe head 12 has a central passage therein as at 15 to receive the communicating medium from the expansible member B to the exterior of the shell 10.

The shell 10 may be journaled in bearings for free rotation or it may be gripped in a driven chuck to impart driving motion thereto.

The expansible member B comprises an elastic bag or bladder 16 which is rovided with an air valve 17 having the en thereof extend through the passage 15. When this bag is ind-ated, the side'v ,ils thereof press against the inner walls of the shell l0 and its associated parts and against the backing 18 which is disposed within the shell in proximity to the passage 11. The shoes 19 are attached to this backing and it is evident that outward pressure on the backing transmits a corresponding pressure to the shoes 19 so that spools 20 may be gripped by these shoes and the outerface of the shell 10. The degree of gripping between the spools and shoes may be determined upon the intensity of the pressure within the expansible member B. f

In Fig. 1, the shoes 19 may be of rigid nonyielding material such as metal or wood or they may be of cork to afford a good gripping surface, and the backing 18 may be of leather or other pliable material having the edges thereof beveled to avoid abrupt )unction between the inner wall of the shell 10 and this backing. In Fig. 2, the shoe and backing are shown in one piece and in this instance, the shoe is of a flexible'and yieldable material to compensate for any variation in the inner face of the spool gripped by the shoe.

In Fig. f1, a cage is shown which comprises the longitudinal rods 21 which form intervals 22 therebetween, and within the connes of these rods is disposed an expansible mem- 'ber 23 to which the shoes 24 are attached. In

this form the variation in the outward movement of the `shoes'2l1 is proportionate in each of the radiating directions and this form of mandrel may be used where itis necessary that the outer face of the spool or gripped member maintains a constant relationship with the axis of rotation.

In Fig. 5, the shell 25 has overlapping ends 26 which are beveled to relatively sharp edges so that -in` the expansion or contraction of this" shell, the overlapping edges change the degree of overlapping as the diameter of the shell is increased or decreased. An lexpansible member 27 is placed within this r`shell and after the spools have been placed about the shell and the tubes inflated, the diameter of this shell increases to establish the desired gripping action. f

It is thought that the operation of this type of expansible mandrel is clear in View of the foregoing and that the forms suggested herem offer suggestions for modifications and alternative forms of assembly,

so no limitation is implied by these drawings or the foregoing speciication.

Having thus described this invention, We claim:

1. An expansible mandrel comprising a relatively rlgid sustaining member, .a pneumatically expansible member confined Withn said sustaining member and a shoe carried by said sustaining member.

2. An eXpansible mandrel comprising a relatively rigid sustaining member, supporting a yieldable element, and av pneumatically expansible member confined Within said sustaining-member.

3. An expansible mandrel relatively rigid sustaining member supporting yieldable parts, and a pneumatically expansible member confined Within said sustaining mem-ber.

4. An expansible mandrel comprising a relatively rigid shell having a passage therein, a pneumatically eXpansible member confined Within said shell, and a shoe eX- tending through said passage.

In an eXpansible mandrel, a relatively comprising a rigid sustaining member comprising a shell having radial passages therein, an eXpansible member comprising an inatable receiver confined Within said shell, and shoes,

yieldably and extensibly mounted in said .yieldably and extensibly moved by action of said eXpansible member.

7. In an expansible mandrel, a relatively rigid sustaining member, a yieldable and extensible gripping device, and apneumatically eXpansible member confined in said sustaining member.

In testimony whereof We aiiX our signatures.

LEWIS M. DIXON. HAROLD W. A.D1XON. 

